Whether decorating cookies or our houses, we all get a little more creative during the holidays. The traditional symbols of the season remind us of God’s gifts, and many of them make easy kids Christmas crafts for your Sunday school class. And you have an added bonus: crafts double as surprise gifts from kids to their friends and family members.
Below you’ll find craft ideas for each of the four weeks of Advent, along with a suggested theme for each week. These themes are just a starting point, and you can explore many more Advent theme ideas to create variety from year to year. If your church doesn’t follow an Advent calendar, just pick a few of your favorites for your Christmas services, and follow our Pinterest board for more Christmas craft ideas.
Crafts for Week 1
Themes: Hope, Expectation, Preparation
As you introduce Advent and the season of preparing for Christmas, kids will enjoy making their own Advent wreaths to take home and share with their families.
Materials needed for each child: paper plate, felt, and card stock cut into various shapes.
(Here’s a fun Advent wreath variation using only pipe cleaners.)
With this week’s theme of waiting with hope, it’s a good time to consider the things we’re longing for. Use this opportunity to encourage kids to bring their requests to God and wait on Him. To help them remember, they can create and/or decorate prayer boxes using a few simple supplies. This craft makes a particularly good gift for moms, grandmas, and teachers too.
Materials needed for each child: empty Altoids tin, assorted scrapbooking paper, markers and/or printables.
Share the story of the wise men and how they waited for the sign that would lead them to the coming King. Then lead the class in making and decorating star ornaments. They can personalize with their names, or spell out HOPE to remind them to follow and trust God even as they wait.
Materials needed for each child: craft sticks, glue, glitter pens or other desired materials to decorate (craft jewels, pom poms, etc.)
Crafts for Week 2
Themes: Peace
This garland makes a beautiful Christmas decoration while symbolizing that Jesus came as the Prince of Peace.
Materials needed for each child: coffee filters, string, tape, scissors.
2. Feed the Flock with Pinecone Bird Feeders
Lessons for the second week of Advent often focus on how Jesus came in love to a humble stable among the animals. It’s traditional to make a point of caring for the animals during this season, and what better way than creating a fun bird feeder?
Materials needed for each child: pine cone, birdseed (you’ll want some shallow pans or boxes to keep it contained), peanut butter (or honey if nut allergies are an issue), ribbon
Worried about a birdseed mess? As an alternative to actual feeders, you can decorate jars for birdseed and fill them up as the kids leave. These make lovely gifts and a fun family event of scattering seeds in the yard.
The stable reminds us the very unexpected way God’s Son came to bring peace. Not as a king to a palace, but to a lowly stable. Help your class make this Christmas craft as a special gift or an ornament they’ll hang for years to come.
Materials needed for each child: craft sticks, wooden star, twine. The teacher or helpers will need a hot glue gun.
Crafts for Week 3
Theme: Joy
In Week 3 of Advent, you may tell the story of the angels appearing to the shepherds announcing the good news of great joy. Help illustrate the lesson with a sweet angel craft.
Materials needed for each child: foam cup, doily, manila folder, gold pipe cleaner, marker, glue, tape, scissors
How many sheep were the shepherds watching when the angels appeared? Your class can create a whole flock of fuzzy sheep using their handprints as templates.
Materials needed for each child: black and white cardstock, glue, scissors, pencils, 2 googly eyes, pink pom pom, cotton balls, black marker, white crayon
3. Twist a Candy Cane Ornament
While you’re talking about shepherds, this might be a great time to share the candy cane poem about Jesus. To remember what the candy cane symbolizes, kids can make their own ornament to take home or give away.
Materials needed for each child: red and white beads, red and white pipe cleaners
Crafts for Week 4
Theme: Love
1. Color a Paper City Nativity Scene
Christmas is finally here! Celebrate God’s gift of love with a joyful nativity scene kids can color and customize to their heart’s content.
Materials needed for each child: free printable, paper, scissors, crayons, markers.
Listen to “Carol of the Bells” and get ready to play along with this musical craft. Kids will love creating their own bells (and making as much choice as possible).
Materials needed for each child: Paper plate, construction paper, jingle bells, yarn, scissors, hole punch, ribbon, glue
Note: Scroll about 1/4 of the way down this page to see the full instructions.
For many families, a Christmas tree is the most visible sign of the season and the festive focus on Christmas Day. Share the history of the Christmas tree and its symbolism for Christians, then make these handprint Christmas tree cards. Encourage kids to write their own messages in the cards. One tradition I enjoyed was writing a letter to God to read on Christmas morning before opening presents. These cards could be used for something similar, or for messages to family members, friends, or even your pastor!
Materials needed for each child: cardstock, scissors, glue dots, rhinestones, writing utensils
Enjoy crafting with your Sunday school class this Christmas!
